The purpose of the study is to rigorously evaluate Next4You, an innovative, fully mobile program featuring 6 content modules, each containing 8-10 microlessons intended to reduce rates of unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STI) and increase essential knowledge, attitudes, and skills among young people aged 16-19 currently in the foster care system in California.
Next4You will be tested using a randomized controlled trial (RCT) involving approximately 500-600 young people ages 16-19 with former or current experience in the California foster care system. Participants will complete an online screener that will assess eligibility (age, foster youth status, county of residence, English proficiency, and access to a device that is Wi-Fi or cellular enabled). Participants will be randomly assigned to receive access to the Next4You mobile platform and its microlessons and resources or a control website containing various health promotion materials. Participants in both conditions will have four consecutive weeks to explore the content on the platform (defined as the implementation period). Self-reported survey data related to attitudes, knowledge, and behavior around romantic relationships and sexual behavior are collected at baseline, as well as 3 months and 9 months after the intervention ends.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
SINGLE
Enrollment
500
Youth in the intervention arm will have access for four continuous weeks to a mobile intervention that covers topics related to communication, relationships, sexual wellness, contraception, respecting self and partners, and building wealth and wellness.
RTI
Berkeley, California, United States
Prevalence of choosing abstinence or the use of condoms if having vaginal or anal sex in the past 3 months
Measured with single-item dichotomous measure of behavior analyzed individually to assess: any consensual vaginal sex in the past 3 months (main and casual sex partners); any consensual vaginal sex with a condom in the past 3 months (main and casual sex partners); any consensual anal sex in the past 3 months (main and casual sex partners); and any consensual anal sex with a condom in past 3 months (main and casual sex partners).
Time frame: 3 months post-intervention
Prevalence of choosing abstinence or the use of condoms if having vaginal or anal sex in the past 3 months
Measured with single-item dichotomous measure of behavior analyzed individually to assess: any consensual vaginal sex in the past 3 months (main and casual sex partners); any consensual vaginal sex with a condom in the past 3 months (main and casual sex partners); any consensual anal sex in the past 3 months (main and casual sex partners); and any consensual anal sex with a condom in past 3 months (main and casual sex partners).
Time frame: 9 months post-intervention
Rates of condomless vaginal or anal sex
Single measure constructed from number of times having consensual vaginal/anal sex in past 3 months; number of times using a condom during consensual vaginal/anal sex in past 3 months; number of times using birth control during consensual vaginal sex in past 3 months
Time frame: 3 months post-intervention
Rates of condomless vaginal or anal sex
Single measure constructed from number of times having consensual vaginal/anal sex in past 3 months; number of times using a condom during consensual vaginal/anal sex in past 3 months; number of times using birth control during consensual vaginal sex in past 3 months
Time frame: 9 months post-intervention
This platform is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional.
Sexual consent self-efficacy
A measure comprised of 35 questions from the Sexual Consent Scale (Humphreys \& Brousseau, 2010) that measures perceived self-efficacy related to sexual consent at 3 months after intervention completion.
Time frame: 3 months post-intervention
Sexual consent self-efficacy
A measure comprised of 35 questions from the Sexual Consent Scale (Humphreys \& Brousseau, 2010) that measures perceived self-efficacy related to sexual consent at 3 months after intervention completion.
Time frame: 9 months post-intervention
Sexual communication self-efficacy
A measure comprised of 20 questions from the Sexual Communication Self-Efficacy Scale (Quinn-Nilas et al., 2016) that measures perceived self-efficacy related to sexual communication at 3 months after intervention completion.
Time frame: 3 months post-intervention
Sexual communication self-efficacy
A measure comprised of 20 questions from the Sexual Communication Self-Efficacy Scale (Quinn-Nilas et al., 2016) that measures perceived self-efficacy related to sexual communication at 3 months after intervention completion.
Time frame: 9 months post-intervention
Condom use attitudes/beliefs
A measure comprised of 10 questions from the Multidimensional Condom Attitudes Scale (Helweg-Larsen \& Collins, 1994) that measures attitudes related to condom use at 3 months after intervention completion.
Time frame: 3 months post-intervention
Condom use attitudes/beliefs
A measure comprised of 10 questions from the Multidimensional Condom Attitudes Scale (Helweg-Larsen \& Collins, 1994) that measures attitudes related to condom use at 3 months after intervention completion.
Time frame: 9 months post-intervention
Contraceptive use attitudes/beliefs
A measure comprised of 11 measures from the Contraceptive Attitude Scale (Kyes, 1998) that measure attitudes related to contraceptive use at 3 months after intervention completion.
Time frame: 3 months post-intervention
Contraceptive use attitudes/beliefs
A measure comprised of 11 measures from the Contraceptive Attitude Scale (Kyes, 1998) that measure attitudes related to contraceptive use at 3 months after intervention completion.
Time frame: 9 months post-intervention
Experiences with equity and power balance in relationships
A measure comprised of the Relationship Control Subscale (15 questions) from the Sexual Relationship Power Scale (Pulerwitz et al., 2000) that measures equity and power balance in relationships at 3 months after intervention completion.
Time frame: 3 months post-intervention
Experiences with equity and power balance in relationships
A measure comprised of the Relationship Control Subscale (15 questions) from the Sexual Relationship Power Scale (Pulerwitz et al., 2000) that measures equity and power balance in relationships at 3 months after intervention completion.
Time frame: 9 months post-intervention
Knowledge of health care rights and location of services
A measure of the % of correct answers comprised from survey questions on knowledge of health care rights (Anderson et al., 2021; Coyle et al., 2021; Office of Management and Budget, n.d.) at 3 months after intervention completion.
Time frame: 3 months post-intervention
Knowledge of health care rights and location of services
A measure of the % of correct answers comprised from survey questions on knowledge of health care rights (Anderson et al., 2021; Coyle et al., 2021; Office of Management and Budget, n.d.) at 3 months after intervention completion.
Time frame: 9 months post-intervention
Experience with condom use
A count of condom issues experienced (derived from 8 condom experiences survey questions \[Coyle et al., 2021\]) at 3 months after intervention completion
Time frame: 3 months post-intervention
Experience with condom use
A count of condom issues experienced (derived from 8 condom experiences survey questions \[Coyle et al., 2021\]) at 3 months after intervention completion
Time frame: 9 months post-intervention
Knowledge of educational rights and programs
A measure of the % of correct answers comprised from 3 survey questions on awareness of rights and programs for youth in foster care going to college or trade school at 3 months after intervention completion
Time frame: 3 months post-intervention
Knowledge of educational rights and programs
A measure of the % of correct answers comprised from 3 survey questions on awareness of rights and programs for youth in foster care going to college or trade school at 3 months after intervention completion
Time frame: 9 months post-intervention
Financial literacy knowledge
A measure of the % of correct answers comprised from 3 survey questions on financial literacy knowledge at 3 months after intervention completion
Time frame: 3 months post-intervention
Financial literacy knowledge
A measure of the % of correct answers comprised from 3 survey questions on financial literacy knowledge at 3 months after intervention completion
Time frame: 9 months post-intervention